The Keadilan-PRM transitional leadership line-up, to be confirmed in Kuala Lumpur this Sunday, is expected to create waves in both parties.

Leaders from both sides are tight-lipped about the new line-up. Even Keadilan secretary-general Shari Bahri, whose comments have been forthcoming in the past, declined to discuss the issue.

Initially scheduled to be launched o­n Jan 18, the announcement was said to be postponed due to the inability of the parties to reach a consensus o­n the line-up.

However, Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail dismissed the allegations, saying the delay in the launching of the new-line up, which will incorporate selective leaders of both parties, was due to technical matters.

"There are also many things happening around us like the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Kuala Lumpur, impending war o­n Iraq and so forth...our leaders are busy with these issues," she told malaysiakini, when contacted recently.

"We are doing the final touches and we expect to launch the new line up o­n Feb 23," she added.

Major changes

The new line up, which will be endorsed by Wan Azizah and PRM president Dr Syed Husin Ali, will see major changes in its top hierachy.

Changes will also be made to leadership strutures in branches and divisions at the state level to incorporate both Keadilan and PRM leaders.

It is often overlooked that the transitional leaders' function is merely to facilitate joint activities and programmes between the two parties as the existing Keadilan supreme council and PRM central committee will continue to function as normal.

Although an application has been made to the Registrar of Society for the new party to be named Parti Keadilan Rakyat (Acronym Keadilan), it has yet to receive an approval.

Beyond a change of name, the new party would also see changes in the constitution and logo. The logo of the merged parties would see Keadilan's turqouise blue flag incorporate PRM's red o­n both sides.

Once the new party gets an official recognition, fresh elections would commence to determine the merged parties leadership line-up.

Sec-gen resigns

Meanwhile, it is learnt that Syed Husin would be the transitional leadership's new deputy president while current Keadilan deputy chief Dr Abdul Rahman Othman will be re-designated to the post of secretary-general.

It is also learnt that Sahri had been offered the assistant secretary-general's post but declined to accept. He has instead tendered his resignation, which is yet to be accepted by Wan Azizah.

The vice-president posts will see three new faces - PRM vice- presidents R Sivarasa and Lee Sang and Sarawak Keadilan chief Hafsah Harun.

Current vice-presidents are Internal Security Act detainee Tian Chua, Hulu Kelang state assembly representative Azmin Ali and former Penang mufti Sheikh Azmi Ahmad.

When contacted, Keadilan deputy Youth chief Saifuddin Nasution Ismail confirmed Sahri's resignation but declined to comment about the line-up.

Saifuddin, who is Lunas state assembly representative, however, conceded that he does not want to get involved in the "intrigues" of the matter and would leave the decision to party leaders.

'Power crazy'

He said he had been "wounded deeply" when advancing the cause of the merger and was at times accused of being "power crazy".

He added that his task to promote the merger, which was opposed by groups said to be pro-Malaysian Muslim Youth Movement (Abim) among the grassroots was "really difficult".

The animosity between members who were pro-merger and those who opposed it came to the fore during Keadilan's annual general meeting in Kedah last October.

During the AGM, held in Sungai Petani, 22 delegates staged a walk-out during the voting session to endorse the merger.

"Enough is enough. I have done whatever I can to see that the merger takes place. Now I leave it all up to the leadership. Whatever decision, I accept," added Saifuddin, who is also Keadilan Kedah deputy chief.